Gumi City Breaks Down Invisible Regulations through Proactive Regulatory Improvements

Hong Seongbin Leads Nation's First Institutional Reform
Five Proactive Regulatory Improvement Cases Selected
Only Outstanding Case from North Gyeongsang Province Gains Nationwide Impact

Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province has been recognized for a total of five cases, including one outstanding case and four benchmarking cases, in the "2025 Q4 Cases of Regulatory Improvement through Proactive Administration" hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. These achievements were made by identifying hidden inconveniences in citizens' daily lives on-site and linking them to institutional improvements.

The case titled "Promoting Water Reuse by Improving Public Sewage Transfer Regulations," which was the only outstanding case selected from North Gyeongsang Province, expanded the transfer of sewage, previously only allowed between public sewage treatment facilities, to include private wastewater discharge businesses.

As a result, water reuse has been promoted, receiving high praise for simultaneously enhancing environmental value and economic efficiency. This initiative has had a significant impact by contributing to the stabilization of water treatment processes and reduction of operating costs at over 240 public wastewater treatment facilities and private businesses nationwide.

This achievement was led by Hong Seongbin, Team Leader of the Environmental Management Division, who proactively addressed the structural limitations of the regulations. After continuous consultations with the Ministry of Environment, he succeeded in revising the Sewerage Act Enforcement Rules in May of last year, marking the first such institutional improvement in the country. This accomplishment was also selected as the top proactive administration case in Gumi City for 2025.

(Left) Gumi City Hall panoramic photo (Right) Hong Seongbin, Team Leader who led the revision of the Sewerage Act Enforcement Rules / Photo by Kim Ewhan

The four benchmarking cases selected include: ▲ One-stop administration that handles everything from the destruction to the cancellation of vehicle registrations in a single process ▲ Improvement of requirements for designating alley-type shopping districts ▲ "MOM Care Gumi," a community child-rearing initiative ▲ Creation of a complex cultural space through the rezoning of the Gumi Convention Center. These cases were commonly praised for simplifying administrative procedures, revitalizing local commercial districts, expanding care services, and enhancing cultural infrastructure, thereby improving the overall quality of life for residents.

Gumi Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "The starting point of proactive administration is to boldly identify and improve invisible regulations that hinder citizens' lives on the ground," adding, "We hope that efforts to improve administrative tasks closely related to citizens' daily lives will continue in the future."